Rep. Randy Feenstra defeats Kevin Virgil in Iowa's 4th Congressional District GOP primary
U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra is the Republican nominee in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District after surviving a primary challenge from businessman Kevin Virgil.
The Associated Press called the race about 9:10 p.m. Tuesday. With 99% of the vote in, Feenstra led Virgil, 60% to 40%.
Feenstra is seeking a third term and will face Democrat Ryan Melton, an insurance professional from Nevada, in November. This is Melton’s second run in the 4th District. Feenstra defeated him in 2022, earning about 67% of the vote to Melton’s 30%.
"Tonight, Iowans sent a clear message that they want a conservative voice in Congress who delivers results for our families, farmers, businesses and our rural communities," Feenstra said in a statement. "I'm humbled by the strong support for our campaign and will continue to deliver for Iowa and our communities."
Virgil, 51, joined the military after high school, attended West Point and served overseas before starting a software development business in the Washington, D.C., area. He moved back to Iowa to run for Congress, arguing that Feenstra has failed to serve the conservative voters of the 4th District.
He campaigned on aggressively slashing the size and scope of the federal government, arguing that Feenstra has helped facilitate ballooning national spending. He opposes federal aid to countries such as Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel, which Feenstra has supported.
Virgil said that although he lost, earning 40% of the vote against an incumbent with vastly more resources should send a signal to Feenstra.
"The real message is that he is now on notice that informed voters are no longer accepting his weak voting record," Virgil said in a statement posted to the social media website X. "I am going to be here, pointing out every bad vote he makes and holding him accountable. I have no doubt there will be ample opportunity to do so. Tonight the establishment and the political machine won. But resistance is building against them. Voters are tired of being sold out and lied to. Iowans deserve better."
Feenstra had endorsements from top Iowa Republicans, including U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley, as well as Gov. Kim Reynolds. He also raised more than $3 million throughout the election cycle and spent more than $650,000 on television ads, digital ads and mailers, according to an April campaign memo issued by his staff.
Virgil was unable to keep pace.
In contrast, he raised about $43,000 and had less than $8,000 in the bank as of April, according to federal filings.
His run was endorsed by former U.S. presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and former U.S. Rep. Steve King.
Feenstra was elected in 2020 after defeating King in a primary race, 46% to 36%. King, who had a long history of controversial remarks, had recently been stripped of his committee assignments in Congress after the New York Times quoted him questioning how white supremacy and white nationalism became offensive terms.
The National Republican Congressional Committee congratulated Feenstra.
"The voters in Iowa's Fourth Congressional District sent a clear message this evening that Representative Randy Feenstra delivers results and he will continue to deliver results for the farmers and families of Northwest Iowa," spokesperson Mike Marinella said in a statement. "We look forward to welcoming Rep. Feenstra back to Congress next year so he can continue his hard work alongside a strong Republican majority."
Iowa's 4th District favors Republicans in general election
The Republican primary contest carries extra weight in Iowa’s 4th District, where registered Republicans far outnumber Democrats. That means whichever candidate emerges from the Republican primary is the heavy favorite to be elected in November.
About 30% of registered voters in the 4th District are Democrats, another 39% are Republicans, and about 30% are registered as no-party voters.
Independent elections analysts at Cook Political Report rated the race as "solid Republican," meaning they don't view it as competitive and think it is unlikely to become closely contested.
Melton said in a Des Moines Register candidate survey that, if elected, his biggest priority would be “to push back on the disproportionate corporate power that is polluting our water, stealing our land, extracting our district's wealth, hollowing out our communities, and buying our politicians.”
Feenstra said his top priority would be securing the border.
“We need to finish the border wall, fully fund our border patrol agents, restore ‘Remain in Mexico,’ and end radical ‘catch-and-release’ policies,” he said in the Register’s candidate survey. “We are a nation of laws and we need to enforce them to keep our families safe and stop deadly fentanyl from flooding our communities.”
Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. She is also covering the 2024 presidential race for USA TODAY as a senior national campaign correspondent. Reach her at [email protected] or 515-284-8244. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Randy Feenstra defeats Kevin Virgil in Iowa 4th District GOP primary